i 3 6 



HA RD WICKE'S SCIENCE- G OS SIP. 



probably engaged in contending for a principle which 

 rightly or wrongly they supposed to be sound. The 

 young persons that I have described are by no means 

 addicted to principles ; technical verbiage learned by 

 rote constitutes the whole of their scientific attain- 

 ments. 



ASTRONOMY AND METEOROLOGY. 

 By John Browning, F.R.A.S. 



A T the meeting of the Royal Astronomical Society 

 ■£*- held on April 13th, it was announced that the 

 Society had been presented with the first volume of 

 the photographic survey of the heavens, sent by the 

 Paris Observatory, and a number of photographs of 

 stellar spective and other astronomical objects sent 

 by the Harvard Observatory of the United States. 

 A paper by Professor Holden was read On the 

 Probable Meteorological Conditions in California 

 during the Total Solar Eclipse of 1st January, 1889- 

 It appears that the eclipse will take place in the 

 rainy season, which is of course much to be regretted, 

 but inland there is some prospect of clear weather. 



A paper was read from Mr. Eddie of Grahamstown, 

 On the New Southern Comet. This was stated to 

 have a nucleus similar to a star of the fourth 

 magnitude with a curved tail about four degrees long. 



Professor Tacchini states that from October to 

 December 1887 there was but little activity observed 

 on the solar surface, the little that was visible was 

 principally in the southern hemisphere ; no spots were 

 recorded in the northern hemisphere. 



On June 21st the Sun enters Cancer at o hr. in 

 the morning, and summer commences. 



There will be no occupations worth observing this 

 month. 



Mercury will be an evening star in a good position 

 for observing. 



Venus will be a morning star all the month in 

 Taurus until near the end, when it will enter Gemini. 



Mars will be in Virgo. 



Jupiter will rise early in the evening in Libra. 



Saturn will be an evening star in Cancer. 



Meteorology. — Admiral Sir Vesey Hamilton has 

 sent me the following interesting experiences with the 

 Rain-Band Spectroscope. 



"Dear Sir, 181A April, 1888. 



" Relative to our conversation a few days ago, 

 I took your pocket-spectroscope to China with me, 

 but did not use it till I was two-thirds of the way 

 down the Red Sea, when the weather being quite 

 clear, and the sun shining bright, I was surprised to 

 find the densest rainband I had ever seen, and this 

 continued till past Socotra Sound, en route to Ceylon, 

 the air was saturated with moisture and temperature 

 for two or three days 95 in shade, and most oppres- 

 sive. Soon after passing Socotra Sound and till our 



arriving in Ceylon, the sky became overcast and we 

 had constant rain crossing the Indian Ocean, 

 accompanied with very heavy showers and squalls, 

 thunder and lightning ; the temperature was then 

 about 86°. The date was between 10th and 25th 

 October, and the N.E. Monsoon was exceptionally 

 late that year. In China I found the spectroscope 

 more useful in foretelling the approach of fine weather 

 during rain than the actual approach of rain during 

 fine weather. 



"I remain, faithfully yours, 



(Signed) "R. Vesey Hamilton. 

 "J. Browning, Esq., F.R.S." 



At first reading this would seem to impugn the 

 value of the Rain Band Spectroscope for the pre- 

 diction of rain — but not so upon closer examination. 

 The important point to observe is that the place 

 where Admiral Sir Vesey made the rain band 

 observation, and the point where the rain fell were 

 a great many miles apart, because the vessel was 

 sailing down the Red Rea when the observation 

 was taken, and it is worth noting that at the place 

 where the rain fell it was seven degrees colder than 

 were the observation was taken, a condition which 

 alone would account for its precipitation. 



At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the highest 

 reading of the barometer for the week ending 21st of 

 April was 29.77 in - on Monday at noon ; and the 

 lowest 29.38 in. on Friday at noon. The mean tem- 

 perature of the air was 48.5 deg., and 0.6 deg. above 

 the average. The general direction of the wind was 

 south-westerly. Rain fell on five days of the week, 

 to the aggregate amount of 0.65 of an inch. The 

 duration of registered bright sunshine in the week 

 was 35.7 hours, against 30.1 hours at Glynde Place, 

 Lewes. 



For the week ending 28th April, the lowest reading 

 of the barometer was 20.50 in. on Sunday at noon ; 

 and the highest 30.07 in. on Thursday evening. The 

 mean temperature of the air was 43.7, and 4.7 deg. 

 above the average. The general direction of the 

 wind was north-eastern. Rain fell on three days of 

 the week, to the aggregate amount of 0.67 of an 

 inch. The duration of registered bright sunshine in 

 the week was 8.0 hours, against 16.4 hours at Glynde 

 Place, Lewes. 



For the week ending 5th May, at the Royal 

 Observatory, Greenwich, the lowest reading of the 

 barometer was 29.23 in. on Tuesday morning ; and 

 the highest was 30.15 in. at the end of the week. 

 The mean temperature of the air was 49.0 deg. The 

 general direction of the wind was south-westerly. 

 Rain fell on two days of the week to the aggregate 

 amount of 0.16 of an inch. The duration of 

 registered bright sunshine in the week was 43.2 

 hours, against 36.4 hours at Glynde Place, Lewes. 



For the week ending 12th May, the lowest reading 

 of the barometer was 30.02 in. on Tuesday afternoon ; 



